Homebirth Deaths In Sydney Australia
A dear reader of this blog sent along this article (which I have also posted below) to me. I don't really have words right now, just sadness for these families and compassion for the babies who may very well have lived if it had not been for you know what.
"AT least four babies have died during home births in Sydney in the past nine months, including the daughter of one of Australia's most vocal advocates for hospital-free deliveries."
Janet Fraser, national convener of Joyous Birth, which encourages women to shun hospitals, is dealing with the death of her own baby during a water birth at her Croydon Park home.
Ms Fraser went into labour at home assisted only by her partner and a female friend when things went horribly wrong.
Editorial: Why hospital horrors bring birth risks home
Health officials yesterday warned the lives of more babies and their mothers were at risk as women increasingly turned their backs on the state's beleaguered public hospitals.
Westmead Hospital director of women's health Dr Andrew Pesce said he was aware of at least four deaths and another four homebirth babies who sustained possible brain damage since last July.
Dr Pesce said the tragedies showed it was time to reform maternity services to attract back women who have become refugees from the hospital system.
Tragic case: Mum in mourning
Dr Pesce said it was time the increased risks of home birth were acknowledged and addressed.
"There are one or two extra deaths per 1000 deliveries and I wish people would acknowledge that," Dr Pesce said.
"It's often presented as if there are no downsides to a home birth only up sides."
He said obstetricians and the health system had to take some responsibility and try to attract women back to the hospital system.
"In the hospital system we need to get our act together rather than make them refugees of the system," Dr Pesce said.
Australian College of Midwives president Professor Pat Brodie said more was urgently needed to be done to avoid future tragedies.
"We are very concerned about a maternity care system that is so abhorrent that women choose to do this (give birth without a midwife),'' Professor Brodie said.
She said the maternity services system needed to be re-organised so women were assigned to a single midwife who they knew and trusted and who could provide continuity of care throughout their pregnancy.
Dr Pesce said that getting continuity of care for pregnant women into the public hospital system was essential and might attract back some women who chose a home birth.
Home births in Australia represent just 0.25 per cent of all births.
Of the 277,436 babies born in 2006, just 708 were home births.
The majority of the home births are done with the assistance of a midwife.
Dr Pesce said women were free to choose the manner in which they gave birth and doctors could not intervene, even if the health of the baby was at risk.
While doctors could get a court order to deliver treatment to a baby after it was born, they needed the permission of the mother if they wanted to carry out a caesarean.
A maternity services review commissioned by the Government called for a major overhaul of the system in February.
The review wants a greater role for midwives in the system.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon has yet to respond to the report.
This article speaks to exactly what I have been saying...things can and DO go horribly wrong during labor. It is so unfair and unfortunate that these babies weren't even given a chance. Spare me the "babies die in hospitals line", it's a tired sputtering of words. Not only has this article shed light on these unnecessary deaths of 4 innocent babies, it has also shed light on babies born at home that have sustained possible brain damage.
My heart goes out to these families. I am so sorry you have to experience this terrible grief, I am so sorry your babies are not with you.
"It's often presented as if there are no downsides to a home birth only up sides."
Yes. Yes there are downsides. The downside is death and mourning.
14 comments:
Erin,
I've followed your story since you and I were due on the same date in 2007. I'm leaving now because I am worn down by the intense grief you sustain and feed. I'm so sorry that Birdie is not here today, but I'm not a horrible mother for choosing home birth, and neither are you.
Good Luck on your journey. May you find peace on your way.
MM
MM-
The point is not that you or I are horrible mothers...this is a very intense personal dilemma for me, and it's not meant to be targeted at you.
I cannot escape the reality of my attempted homebirth. It is my reality, and when I see evidence of this reality realized elsewhere I cannot be silent about it.
I hope that you will continue to read on...
You will be missed.
Erin, what you are doing is trying to save lives.... you know the worst of a home birth. If whoever wrote above had the same happen to her I would hope she would be doing the same as you are really trying to get it out to people what can happen at home births and that if at a hospital could have been a live birth outcome. I also want you to know I say none of this to hurt you.... ever. I give you so, so much credit for trying so hard to let people know. I know some people don't want to go to the hospital because it's just not totally the home birth atmosphere, it's not totally natural.... but even in a hospital that IS your choice, it's definitely out there these days. Two years ago my daughter gave birth, labored for 24hours and the heart rate dropped. Emergency C/S showed the cord was wrapped around the neck times 3, this baby would not have made it out alive or without brain damage had she not been in the hospital. It would be great if our bodies that are even in great shape would never fail, but they do. And in this case it really didn't have as much to do with the laboring mother but the baby, there are things you have absolutely no control over but surely would make a difference in the outcome of the baby if you were IN a hospital. Sometimes seconds are of the utmost importance. As I was saying even healthy bodies are not going to be perfect when it comes to delivery or many other things for that matter. If only we lived in a perfect world... but healty people get diseases etc. My sister who has always strived to be healthy has metastic breast cancer. I don't think you are a downer... sure, it's a very, very sad subject but I don't think it should be hidden, that's what is sad. True, babies do die in hospitals but not for reasons that if they were born at home and could have been saved if in a hospital. So even IF you got a drug you didn't care to have but it helps get the baby out alive, I think we all know what is the better choice, the baby!!! I don't know if I'm making any sense but I sure hope so, sorry so long. This upsets me as it does you, working in OB and nursery and having Grandchildren I am so concerned about the healthy outcome of little ones. Bless your heart Erin... (((HUGS))) Mary
Thank you Mary. I understand an appreciate your words....=)
Erin, thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. This is happening in my very own country and I was not aware of it. I never had a homebirth with Hope and never really considered it, but I know I would never consider it now, as that's because I believe I need to be where I am safe - in a hospital where people can act fast when things go wrong - and things went very wrong for me last time. I think you are so brave, and unlike the commenter above I think it is unfair to say you still have an intense grief you need to feed. I mean of course you do! You will grieve Birdie intensely for the rest of your life. This is also your private place to do that grieving, so please don't ever change and please don't stop saying the things you say. If enough people listen, one day you might really help someone. I'd like to think you already have. You are certainly helping me.
Sorry for ranting.
Sally
As i have said before, I am not a mama...but I have tons of friends who are. We were talking about birth the other day, and I was asking a friend why she had a c-section (she ended up with a scheduled one and I never knew the story). It was because they thought the baby was too big...at any rate. She said it wasn't her first choice, but she didn't really care. And as I told her, and as I have learned from you and so many others - the birth experience does not really matter if at the end of the day there is not a healthy baby. Unfortunately, so many people get lost about what the ultimate goal is.
Holdyn is GORGEOUS! Happy six months!!
Thank you.
Dearest Erin,
It was me, who emailed you the link. I was sad to read the first commenter, and thoroughly disagree. There are no "rules" when it comes to a deep grief such as yours .... I believe you are such an inspirational, amazing woman. I love how you can see Birdies name in most photos of you with Holdyn ... you are a magnificent family.
I am not a babyloss mama - but my first birth went quite wrong, my sons shoulders got stuck and his heartrate dropped drastically. Emergency c-section, and I luckily got to take home my precious boy.
Then, after IVF, I had babe number two. The local hospital would not let me to try a vaginal birth, I was "high risk" because of my earlier c-section. I was cranky about that ..... but it really was a small price to pay, for my beautiful second baby. (Who is currently teething and sending me crazy but I still love him).
Sometimes, I come and click on your blog and your total enraptured love you have for your Holdyn makes me love my own children more. Because you know how precious it is, how fragile.
Thank you.
XOXOXOXO
Wow...Maverick Mama. If you think you are worn down by the grief Erin sustains, imagine how she feels.
She is Birdie's mama. Her experience gives her the right to grieve for as long as she wants. She lost her CHILD for heavens sake.
Well, I know I have commented on this in the past, but I'll just state it again that I, too, just cannot be that benign about home birth anymore. I am not a babylost Mama. I'm an "insanely complicated labor and delivery" Mama. It just... the whole experience opened my eyes and changed me. What does it say about me and my experience and how I have processed everything that I went through that I feel more at home reading the blogs of babylost Mamas than I do reading the blogs of other crunchy AP Mamas? I don't know. I'm different now, too. I can't see the world with the same eyes that I used prepregnancy and even prelabor and delivery. Knowledge is both a blessing and a curse.
Aidan's mom said exactly what I was thinking.
thank you, sweet sweet mamas...
Hi Erin,
I've never lost a baby but when I hear about lost babies I can barely take it. Every time I come to your site I cry for Birdie. My friend also lost a baby nearly 2 years ago and when I remember it I feel like crying and crying. If I, as an outsider, am so affected by the loss of someone else's child I can't imagine what kind of grief YOU are experiencing as a mom who has personally experienced this loss and I think it's dangerous for someone who perhaps doesn't know all the particulars to comment on your grieving process. Perhaps MaverickMama has thoughts about a timeline or healthy vs. unhealthy ways to express grief, but I think that is a topic better left to discuss between oneself and one's therapist or close friends & family IRL, you know?
Thank you for your blog. I think some people may eventually be turned off by what you're doing because they see you as "defecting to the dark (medical) side." I think it's unfortunate that this issue is so polarized, that untruths are running rampant. I think I wrote before that I had a wonderful, awesome experience in the hospital after I transferred- IMPOSSIBLE according to the home birth community!
I don't think you've called anybody a "horrible mother." I think you're trying to tell people that, despite what HBAs tell mothers, bad things DO happen.
Keep doing what you're doing, because you're going to make a difference for someone. While planning my HB I read Dr. Tuteur's website frequently and it really rattled me. When I brought it up at my HB meetings they flat-out said that I should stop reading. "Wow," I thought, "that doesn't sound right. 'Just ignore it?' If this woman has a point, shouldn't we listen? Or can we really not take the heat?"
It's so funny because now I have a *totally* different view of Dr. Tuteur's blog, her posts, her attitude, etc. I was SO on the defensive before...
So at this point I'm probably just rambling (it's pretty early here). Holdyn is gorgeous :) Now I'm going back to bed to snuggle with my cranky little monster (probably also teething, as another mom said) who is driving me crazy and whom I will hold even tighter today after reading your blog.
I cannot even begin to imagine the sorrow, anger, or guilt that you face every day. From what I know what happened to your family was a lousy combination of the worst of both home and hospital birth. The wrong choices for emergency back up and an unacceptable delay of help once you arrived at the hospital coupled together and led to your loss. I am so sorry for that loss.
And so I say this in the gentlest way possible. Tonight I sit here mourning the loss of a baby I had hoped to know. Her parents waited for years for her arrival and were so happy to finally be pregnant. She was healthy and fine, just like Birdie. Her mother was induced because it was her due date. No underlying health issues. No reason except it was "time." Pitocin, running in its abnormal pattern of contractions, squeezed this little girl throughout her birth. Nubain, given to comfort her mother, depressed her breathing. Breathing that must have already been working overtime to combat the extra pressures of Pitocin. So she got into trouble and they rushed them down the hallway for an emergency cesarean. Once born she did not breathe for almost ten minutes. There are no signs of any genetic issues that could possibly have led to her struggle. The side effects of both Pitocin and Nubain list respiratory distress and fetal death among them. Her parents have been offered no explanation outside of these side effects for what happened to their daughter.
Yesterday she was removed from life support. Our friends are coming home without their daughter. A child who died because she was born in the hospital. Perhaps she would be alive if her mother had chosen to stay home for her delivery. Perhaps Birdie would be alive if you had not. This is not a series of questions that can be answered definitively before events take place. The world is not so simple as that. Both of you made the choices that you made and have been left with a horrible reality.
There are problems in with homebirth in America. I say this as a mother of three children, two born in my home. There is not the structure in place to unilaterally and readily assist mothers and infants who do require a transfer to a hospital for whatever reason. This gap in structure has most certainly cost lives. That is unacceptable. But also unacceptable is to write off homebirth entirely and embrace such black and white severity. There are also major problems with mainstream maternity care and hospital birth in America. Mothers and babies do die or are needlessly injured in hospitals every day.
The whole system, homebirth and hospital birth, needs to move to a place that is more balanced and cooperative. A system that provides true quality care for mothers and infants. A system based on evidence-based care such as recommended by The World Health Organization, The Cochrane Collaboration, MCFI, and more. And shunning homebirth is the not the answer to ending neonate deaths. Nor is shunning hospital birth.
I think of you and your little ones often and do wish you peace and comfort in your life. I hope that a balance is someday easier to find for all of us.
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